Centenary of
Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service
Luxa Road, Varanasi - 221 010, India
1900 - 2000
An Appeal

"Jiva is Shiva (Man is Divine), who can show mercy to Him ?
No mercy but service by looking upon man as God."
- Sri Ramakrishna

"Benares .. in this, the most ancient and living centre of Aryan religious activity, there come men and women, and as a rule, old and decrepit, waiting to pass unto Eternal Freedom, through the greatest of all sanctifications, death under the shadow of the temple of the Lord of the Universe."
- Swami Vivekananda
Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service, Varanasi
This hospital centre of the Mission was started in 1900 by a group of youngmen inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda. The Swami, when he visited Varanasi in February 1902, was immensely pleased to see the dedicated service of those poor but determined youths and wrote an appeal for funds. Eventually the present land was purchased in 1908. The Home had the unique privilege to be blessed by the visit of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Sister Nivedita and most of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. As the years rolled by the Home grew in all proportions. New service wings were added. And today this multidimensional institution of service and spirituality sprawls into an area of 13 acres.

The Hospital

The 230 bedded hospital, with modern infrastructure has the following sections:
  1. Medical
  2. Surgical including neuro, thoracic & plastic surgery
  3. Gynaecology
  4. Orthopaedics
  5. E.N.T.
  6. Opthalmology
  7. Paediatrics
  8. Urology
  9. Dental
  10. Dermatology
As a rule, the poor and the needy are treated free. Patients from lower income group who can afford to, pay the charges at a minimal. Diet and other emergency medicines are available free to all, irrespective of their status.

The Out Patient Department

It has two sections: Allopathy & Homoeopathy. No fees for consultation are charged; most of the common medicines are provided free.

Diagnostic Facility

  1. X Ray
  2. E.C.G.
  3. U.S.G.
  4. Endoscopy
  5. Pathology & Biochemistry
Anti-tubercular Treatment
Like most countries in Asia and Africa, India too is ridden with an increasing number of TB cases. Prolonged treatment is needed for such patients for at least 9, 12 or 18 months depending upon the seriosness of the case. We try to cater to the needs of large number of patients. Annual expenditure on this service alone comes to about Rs. 0.5 million.

Special Medicine Fund

Special diagnostic tests, costly medicines for treatment of cases like cancer etc. are provided free to the poor patients from the fund kept for this purpose.

Relief

Monthly pecuniary help is provided to old and destitute widows of Varanasi. At present 168 such widows are given @ Rs. 75/- per month. Our target is to reach larger number of such widows subject to the availability of funds. Yearly distribution of garments and blankets and occasional feeding of the poor are also part of our service.

Old Age Homes

Varanasi, the holy city of Lord Shiva has an especial place in Indian culture. As Swami Vivekananda wrote in an appeal for this Home of Service: "In other sacred places people go to purify themselves from sin, and their connection these places is casual... In this (i.e. Varanasi) ... there come men and women, and as a rule old and decrepit, waiting to pass into Eternal Freedom through ...death under the shadow of the temple of the Lord of the Universe." Nearly right from its inception the Home of Service is maintaining two separate Old Age Homes for men and women. Each home now accomodates 40 persons.

Financial Constraints

The expense structure of the institution keeps rising due to inflationary conditions. The quantum of donations do not match the rising expenses resulting in shifting the burden to income from accumulated funds and to the paying section of the society. For example, presently it costs us Rs. 90,000/- per month to provide uninterrupted electricity to the campus, what to speak of other overheads !

Master Plan

The Home will complete 100 years of its useful service to the nation in 2000. To commemorate the Centenary of this Home of Service, we have drawn up a Master Plan to make radical developments to meet the growing demands of the people for the next 100 years or so. Plans have been drawn up which will cost the institution around Rs. 50 million.
 
 
Your Help Required

You may extend your help by contributing to any of the activities given below :-

  1. Hospital
  2. Old Age Homes
  3. Relieft to Destitute Widows
  4. TB Medicine Scheme
  5. Special Medicine Scheme
  6. Diary (we have our own diary supplying milk to all patients and residents of the Home.)
Please send your contribution by Cheque / Demand Draft drawn in favor of RAMAKRISHNA MISSION HOME OF SERVICE and cross it A/c payee only. Donations to our institution are Tax exempt u/s 80G of the Indian Income Tax Act.

The Secretary
Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service
Luxa Road, Varanasi - 221 010, India.
Phones: Hospital 91-542-320776, Office 91-542-321727

 
The Ramakrishna Home of Service, Benares
An Appeal
(By Swami Vivekananda)

This appeal, in the form of a letter written by Swamiji to accompany the first Report of the Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service, Benares, February 1902.

Dear-

We beg your acceptance of the past year's Report of the Ramakrishna Home of Service, Benares, embodying a short statement of our humble efforts towards the amelioration, however little, of the miserable state into which a good many of our fellow-beings, generally old men and women, are cast in this city.

In these days of intellectual awakening and steadily asserting public opinion, the holy places of the Hindus, their condition, and method of work, have not escaped the keen eye of criticism; and this city, being the holy of holies to all Hindus, has not failed to attract its full share of censure.

In other sacred places people go to purify themselves from sin, and their connection with these places is casual, and of a few days' duration. In this, the most ancient and living centre of Aryan religious activity, there come men and women, and as a rule, old and decrepit, waiting to pass unto Eternal Freedom, through the greatest of all sanctifications, death under the shadow of the temple of the Lord of the Universe.

And then there are those who have renounced everything for the good of the world, and have for ever lost the helping hands of their own flesh and blood, and childhood's associations.

They too are overtaken by the common lot of humanity, physical evil in the form of disease.

It may be true that some blame attaches to the management of the place. It may be true the priests deserve a good part of the sweeping criticism generally heaped upon them; yet we must not forget the great truth -- like people, like priests. If the people stand by with folded hands and watch the swift current of misery rushing past their doors, dragging men, women and children, the Sannyasin and the householder, into one common whirlpool of helpless suffering, and make not the least effort to save any from the current, only waxing eloquent at the misdoings of the priests of the holy places, not one particle of suffering can ever be lessened, not one ever be helped.

Do we want to keep up the faith of our forefathers in the efficacy of the Eternal City of Shiva towards salvation ?

If we do, we ought to be glad to see the numbers of those increase from year to year who come here to die.

And blessed be the name of the Lord that the poor have this eager desire for salvation, the same as ever.

The poor who come here to die have voluntarily cut themselves off from any help they could have received in the places of their birth, and when disease overtakes them, their condition we leave to your imagination and to your conscience as a Hindu, to feel and to rectify.

Brother, does it not make you pause and think of the marvellous attraction of this wonderful place of preparation for final rest ? Does it not strike you with a mysterious sense of awe -- this age-old and never-ending stream of pilgrims marching to salvation through death ?

If it does, -come and lend us a helping hand.

Never mind if your contribution is only a mite, your help only a little; blades of grass united into a rope will hold in confinement the maddest of elephants, -says the old proverb.

(signed) Swami Vivekananda